EXPERIMENTAL TOXOPLASMOSIS IN BUDGERIGARS (MELOPSITTACUS UNDULATUS)

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology Vol. 88; no. 3; pp. 514 - 519
• Main Authors: Dubey, J. P, Hamir, A. N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS American Society of Parasitologists 01-06-2002; Allen Press Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Assay; Bird Diseases - immunology; Bird Diseases - parasitology; Birds; Bone marrow; Brain; Brain - parasitology; Brain - pathology; Budgerigars; Connective tissue; Cysts; Enteritis; Experimental protozoal diseases and models; Feces - parasitology; Female; Immunohistochemistry; Infections; Infectious diseases; Inflammation; Intestines - parasitology; Intestines - pathology; Legs; LIFE CYCLES-SURVEY; Lungs; Medical sciences; Melopsittacus undulatus; Mice; Muscles; Oocysts; Parasitic diseases; Parasitology; Parrots; Protozoa; Protozoal diseases; Rodents; Small intestine; Tachyzoites; Toxoplasma - growth & development; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - immunology; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - parasitology; Protozoa; Host parasite relation; Apicomplexa; Protozoal disease; Oral administration; Host; Parasitosis; Melopsittacus undulatus; Artificial infestation; Oocyst; Dose activity relation; Infection; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Sensitivity resistance; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis; Domestic animal; Parasitism; Aves
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.1645/0022-3395(2002)088[0514:ETIBMU]2.0.CO;2

The susceptibility of budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) to graded doses of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts was studied. Sixteen budgerigars were divided into 4 groups (A–D) of 4 each. Birds in groups A–C were fed 100,000, 1,000, or 100 infective oocysts of the VEG strain of T. gondii, respectively. Budgerigars in group D were not fed oocysts and served as controls. All 4 birds in group A died (or were killed) because of acute severe enteritis 5 or 6 days after feeding oocysts (DAFO). Three of the 4 birds in group B were killed (or died) because of toxoplasmosis 9 or 14 DAFO. One budgerigar in group C and the 4 budgerigars in group D remained healthy and were killed 35 or 39 DAFO. Toxoplasma gondii was demonstrated in tissues of all budgerigars fed oocysts. The control budgerigars remained clinically normal and showed no evidence of T. gondii exposure. These results indicate that, compared to other passerines, budgerigars are relatively resistant to clinical toxoplasmosis.